Fly High With The Elemis x Misha Nonoo Luxury Travel Essentials For Her Kit
Have you ever tried buying one of those travel-friendly, TSA-approved sets of clear, empty plastic bottles, squeeze tubes, and jars that promise to make your life easier by allowing you to pour your favorite skincare and haircare products into these empties, thereby allowing you to stick to your normal beauty regimen wherever your itinerary takes you? In theory, they’re a must for any frequent flier. In reality, there are some very practical complications to using these empties. First, there’s never enough bottles and jars. If you’re a bonafide beauty junkie, chances are you require more than a single face wash and day cream. What about your serum? Your essence? Your micellar water? Your eye cream? Your nighttime moisturizer? Second, the whole process of transferring products from one vessel to the next can be messy and tedious. And then, of course, there’s the fact that you need to label everything carefully or you’ll end up washing your hair with lotion. Truth be told, after several failed attempts at using those refillable travel-sized bottle sets, I’ve decided they’re just not for me. Besides, travel-sized beauty products are just itty bitty cuteness. They’re like Baked by Melissa mini cupcakes or bite-sized sliders.
My latest beauty travel companion, then, is the ELEMIS x Misha Nonoo Luxury Travel Essentials For Her kit ($104 at Elemis.com), which features 7 of the most beloved products from British skincare brand Elemis — all packaged inside a stunning patterned pouch designed by New York-based fashion designer Misha Nonoo. The kit contains: a 30ml tube of the Pro-Radiance Cream Cleanser, a 50ml bottle of the Balancing Lavender Toner, a 28 ml bottle of the White Flowers Eye & Lip Makeup Remover, a 15ml tube of the Papaya Enzyme Peel; a 30ml jar of the Pro-Collagen Marine Cream, a 50 ml tube of the Frangipani Monoi Shower Cream, and a 35 ml bottle of the Frangipani Monoi Body Oil.
I’m obsessed with the Elemis Frangipani Monoi products since they make any shower feel like a tropical getaway, plus they leave the skin soft, supple, and beautifully scented.The milky consistency of the shower cream feels indulgent and the aroma of Tahitian gardenias, frangipani, and monoi oil is intoxicating. The body oil, meanwhile, is quickly absorbed by damp skin, and also features that luxurious tropical scent.
In terms of the facial care products in the kit, I’m a zealous fan of the Elemis Pro-Collagen collection, so I tip my proverbial hat to the brand for choosing to include the Pro-Collagen Marine Cream, a stellar anti-aging product formulated with Padina Pavonica, a brown algae found in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea that’s been shown to increase collagen production and stimulate the synthesis of glycosaminoglycans, which bind moisture to the skin and support the connective tissue within the dermis. I’m also thrilled to see another of my favorites in the kit: the Elemis Pro-Radiance Cream Cleanser, a gentle and non-drying face wash packed with Moringa seed extract, which has been shown to protect the skin against oxidative stress and even counteracts any damage caused by free radicals. The cleanser, which has a comforting scent that blends sweet Brazilian orange, lavender, ylang ylang, and patchouli, also contains noni fruit, a Polynesian fruit with has antibacterial, antiseptic, and antioxidant benefits.
As for the other three products in the collection, I just started using them and am beyond impressed — particularly by the Papaya Enzyme Peel. The rinse-off treatment contains pineapple and papaya extracts, both of which contain alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) that remove dead surface skin cells and promote cellular turnover, as well as soothing milk proteins, vitamin E, and replenishing marine algae. The peel helps to clarify congested skin, give dull complexions a radiance boost, and keep the skin’s texture smooth and supple.
As for the White Flowers Eye & Lip Makeup Remover, it managed to erase all signs of my waterproof mascara and eyeliner — without causing any irritation. It even removed every last little but of my Kat Von D liquid lipstick — and, anyone who has tried the long-wearing product knows that’s not small feat!
The makeup bag, meanwhile, is a treat in and of itself. Unlike most makeup bags, which feel flimsy, this one has a sturdiness to it and a very clean and structured shape. The bag features a dynamic, chevron-like print that incorporates the colors of the key products in the collection: the light teal of the Pro-Collagen Marine Cream, the red of the Frangipani Monoi products, the white of the Pro-Radiance Cream Cleanser’s tube, and the dark royal blue of the font used on the packaging of the Papaya Enzyme Peel. The color combination, then, pays tribute to Elemis and, moreover, to the star products within the travel-friendly set, while the graphic pattern reflects Misha Nonoo’s unique design perspective and her penchant for creating dynamic pieces that appeal to modern women’s sensibilities.
Apparently, the designer swears by the Frangipani Monoi Body Oil and the Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream, so her vision for the bag was informed by her own experiences with the brand’s products. And isn’t art at its finest when it’s personal?
